Mary Frances Mccollester

Of Rochester NY passed away peacefully at home on February 23, 2022, at the age of 72. Born to Margaret (Pohl) and Sumner McCollester, Mary through fierce determination and constant effort maintained her independence and positive attitude through a life of struggle and achievement despite being born with cerebral palsy. Graduating from Utica College as an occupational therapist, she brought her understanding and respect for people with disabilities to BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) where she worked for over thirty years. The great love and pride of her life, her son Jorge, was adopted from Guatemala as a child. Jorge and his partner Melissa Roberts recently gave her a beautiful granddaughter Brooklyn, a source of great joy, happiness, and laughter.

Mary is survived by two devoted brothers, David, his wife Sunnie and three children (Aaron, Kerry, Dan) and Charlie, his wife Linda and five children (Karl, Becca, Sarah, Matt, Maria). Her "adopted sister" and cousin, Kathleen Miller, along with numerous other Nolan, Pohl, McCollester, McCormick cousins, spouses and children admired her and were inspired by her life. She taught us all to never underestimate the strength, abilities, and insight of the so-called handicapped. Her lifelong struggle to maintain mobility and functionality was heroic. Devoid of self-pity, she was always deeply aware of the vulnerability of others.

Deeply concerned about the world, her country, and the city of Rochester, she was a listener to NPR and viewer of PBS, loved the songs of Joan Armatrading and music on the World Café. She marched in Washington DC against the Vietnam War in 1970 with Dave, Charlie and his wife Linda. Beside her in that march was her closest cousin, Ricky Pohl, whom she said seemed to simply appear as she stood at the Washington Monument looking for him.

She was active in many circles. She loved to tutor children in reading and life skills. She enjoyed hanging out with friends in her Adoption group, her Mahjong group, and her BOCES co-workers who remained close friends in retirement. Nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, loved her ice-cream floats, her sturrims, goulash, and kuchan. She loved bird watching, her raised-bed garden, her dogs and cats, and especially summer visits to Chateaugay Lake where she always stopped first to visit the graves of her mother and father.

Friends and family are invited to gather and celebrate her life on Saturday, March 12 from 9 am to Noon at Newcomer Funeral Home, 6 Empire Blvd. Rochester NY. At 11:00 am, Father Bill Donnelly will open an hour of memory and reflection. The family requests that masks be worn. In lieu of flowers, donations to Doctors Without Borders and WXXI public radio much appreciated.